Hardy Reflects On The ‘Eras’ Of His Life In MTSU Commencement Speech

Author Lauren Hoffman

May 7th 1:34 PM

Hardy returned to his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), on Saturday (5/4) just hours before hitting the stage with Morgan Wallen at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, to deliver the commencement speech to the Class of 2024. The 2013 graduate posted the video below to his Instagram calling it a “very humbling experience.”

RELATED: Hardy: His ‘Mount Rushmore’ Of Country And Rock Music

The 33-year-old took to the stage to speak to the professors, faculty, and the graduating class, with even his parents in attendance. Hardy is now the youngest graduate of MTSU to return and give the commencement speech to the graduating class.

While it’s been 11 years since Hardy was a student at MTSU, he had the opportunity to reflect on some of his “great memories.” He expressed to the crowd how “thankful” and “proud” he was to return to his alma matter to do this.

Hardy’s Commencement Speech

“Professionally I’ve been a songwriter for the past ten years, and more recently, I’ve begun my artist career in both country music and rock and roll, and I’ve been blessed to achieve a handful of accolades I can hang on my wall, but sometimes I still feel like the 19-year-old kid moving into my single-bedroom apartment at Chelsea Place, just down the street,” Hardy said during his commencement speech.

He continued, “You just read the last chapter in a book that you never thought would end. You worked very hard, and now you deserve to enjoy what I think is the greatest era or chapter in your life, your years after college. So congratulations, students.“

You can watch Hardy’s MTSU commencement speech in full below.

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Hardy recently celebrated his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart with “Truck Bed.” He is also fresh off the release of his new single, “ROCKSTAR,” and HIXTAPE: Vol. 3, DIFFTAPE, honoring ’90s icon and country star Joe Diffie.

Hardy will hit the road later this month for his headlining Quit!!! Tour with special guests Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Ella Langley, and Stephen Wilson Jr. He will also play select festivals this summer, including CMA Fest in Nashville, Country Thunder, Rock The South, Country Jam, and more.

6 Of The Best Country Music Videos of All Time

Carrie Underwood –"Before He Cheats" (2006)
This is the song Carrie closed her shows with and is the song she is most recognized for. The music video of the song tells the story of revenge so well as Carrie’s character sashes tires and beats her former cheating boyfriend’s truck with a baseball bat (a Louisville slugger).

The video was filmed in downtown Nashville Printer’s Alley, a once popular spot in Nashville that now has bars and clubs where up-and-coming country singers can play their songs with hopes of being discovered.

Underwood passionately sings the song in the video, walking through the streets as people around her look and windows shatter. She carries the bat through much of this classic video.

“Before He Cheats” won Video of the Year at the ACMs in 2006. It won the CMT Music Award for Video of the Year in 2007.
The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) "Goodbye Earl" - (2000)
The Chicks made their exit from country music after some political controversy, but before that happened, they made this video, an absolute gem.

The video features Hollywood actresses Jane Krakowski and Lauren Holly as Wanda and Mary Ann, lifelong friends who got together and killed Wanda’s abuser. NYPD Blue actor Dennis Franz played the abuser and murder victim. The Chicks met the actor while appearing on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and asked him to be in a future video.

Say what you want about The Chicks; this video is epic and for sure one of the best country music videos of all time. The video came out before the CMT Music Awards began in 2002, or I believe it would have won the top honor for sure.

The video won a CMA Award in 2000 for Music Video of the Year. It was the same year the Dixie Chicks won the coveted Entertainer of the Year from the CMA.
Dierks Bentley - "Drunk On A Plane" (2015)
Dierks’s sense of humor shines in this fun video that features Bentley playing himself in the plane, signing autographs for some ladies at one point and playing guitar and singing as the song’s character gets drunk on a plane taking a honeymoon trip alone as his wife to be dumped him.

Dierks also plays the plane’s pilot (he is an actual pilot who flies himself to his own concert dates all over the country). As the pilot, he dons a pilot hat, jacket, and sunglasses.

During that time, I attended the number one party in Nashville for “Drunk On A Plane,” where everyone was given a pilot hat and sunglasses like in the video.

Bentley is a fun guy, and this music video was as entertaining as any in-country music. I believe it is one of the best country music videos of all time.
Shania Twain - "Man, I Feel Like A Woman!" (1997)
This music video is like no other in country music and this is the song that made Shania a household name. The video has been viewed more than 400 million times on YouTube.

Twain’s style and dressing in drag, then shedding her coat and tie to dance around and sing the women’s anthem to perfection, is what makes Shaina stand out even today. The song and video are just as popular today as they were when they first came out over 25 years ago!

Having eye candy men dressed in tight, shiny black pants and see-through shirts dancing and playing guitar behind her in the video set the stage for one of country music’s most recognized and best music videos ever.

Two years after releasing this song and music video in 1999, Twain was crowned the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year.
HARDY with Lainey Wilson - "Wait In The Truck" (2022)
This music video is like a movie telling the story of a character killing an abuser of his friend. Lainey’s performance as the abused woman “waiting in the truck” is worthy of an Emmy for sure. Wilson is also in scenes where her character testifies in court and visits HARDY in prison.

The video won Music Video Of The Year and Musical Event of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards in Nashville. It also won an ACM Award in 2022 for Visual Media (Video) of the Year.

It was nominated for CMT Music Video of the Year but lost out to Kane and Katelyn Brown’s “Thank God” video.
Reba McEntire - "Fancy' (1992)
This is one of the best story videos of all time in any genre of music, in my opinion. Reba is near perfect in the role of Fancy, a now famous star who grew up pleasing men at the instruction of her mother to survive.

The video starts with Fancy Rae Baker coming home to the “Outskirts of New Orleans” to the shack she grew up in. A cab driver is starstruck as he drives Fancy, wearing a fur coat, hat, and sunglasses, looking like a movie star, to her old home.

The song starts, and Fancy flashes back to tell her tale as Reba sings the song in the old shack.

Surprisingly, the music video did not win any awards. Reba did win the Video of the Year award from the ACM for her 1991 video “Is Their Life Out There?” and in 1986 for her “Whoever’s In New England” music video.